Redeeming the Night by Kristine Overbrook

got the full tour when we came here the first time.” Aaron turned right and entered what Eric assumed to be Olivia’s bedroom, but once they were inside he saw no sign of a bed.
    “This is her living area.” Aaron motioned to the desk and shelves of books. “Her bedroom is through here.”
    Now this looked like a little girl’s room. An entire wall of white shelves held dolls and figurines. All of the wood in the room had been painted white. The curtains, throw rug, and bedspread were done in the bright colors of Easter and little girls.
    Nothing in the room seemed out of place. No stray dishes or clothes. No toys strewn about. It felt safe to assume when you grew up with someone else putting your things away, if you wanted privacy, you learned to do it yourself. “When you talk with the parents, ask if they’ve had the room cleaned in any way since she left.”
    “We haven’t.” The man that stood in the doorway wore a suit. A black tie was knotted at his throat. “I’d appreciate it if you can make this quick; I have business associates downstairs.”
    “I understand,” Aaron said. He quickly introduced Eric to Mr. Koburn. “Let’s talk in the sitting room.”
    “Not even to vacuum or dust?” Eric asked as they filed into Olivia’s sitting area.
    “No,” Mrs. Koburn said. “Maria doesn’t come until tomorrow.”
    Eric turned back to the room. If the others were watching him it might appear as though he was simply staring. Of all his new abilities, his incredible sense of smell was by far the most useful in this situation. He breathed deeply, feeling the scents of everyone who’d been in the room. He moved slowly, leaning toward her closet and then the bed. Both were places where the girl’s fragrances would be prominent.
    He began to separate and identify the smells. The girl and what was most likely the housekeeper permeated the entire room. There were others of course—her parents, Aaron, and even officer McMillan, most likely from when they first investigated the girl’s disappearance.
    But there was something else. Another scent on the bed. The closer he leaned, the stronger the scent. Stepping to the edge of the bed Eric donned a pair of gloves. Like the pictures of women’s beds in every advertisement he’d ever seen, the head of the bed was loaded with pillows, including two fancy ones outside of the comforter. He carefully moved these to the end of the bed. Then he pulled back the quilted cacophony of pastels.
    The sheet set was light pink, as were most of the pillows. Tucked under the sheets, resting its head against the mountain of pillows, was what appeared to be a ragdoll in pink pajamas.
    The doll itself seemed to be of simple construction. Two pieces, front and back, with arms and legs jutting out from the body like a gingerbread man. The face appeared to be drawn on by a marker. Odder still were the clothes. Pink and silky, certainly cleaner than the body of the doll, with seams on the outside as if stitched in haste.
    What’s more, the doll smelled very little like the rest of the room. It was newly introduced. He’d bet it had never been washed in the family’s laundry. Until he talked to the Koburns he didn’t want to move it, so he leaned in and sniffed, then moved about the room to track the scent.
    Sure enough, the scent traced a line across the floor to a dresser topped with an ornate mirror in one corner of the room. Then it went through glass doors to a balcony. His stomach sank. However the abductor had managed it, he’d left with the girl this way.
    As Eric turned from the doors he heard a throat clear behind him. Aaron and the Koburns were standing in the door. “Mr. and Mrs. Koburn,” he began after he got the nod from Aaron, “are you familiar with all of your daughter’s toys?”
    Mr. Koburn shrugged and shook his head, but his wife nodded. “Most of them, yes. She received an allowance for little chores so she bought a few on her own. She liked to show